Process for obtaining amino acids from the raw juices of sugar

Abstract

To recover amino acids from raw sugar juice, as obtained in beet extraction, the juice is treated with acid or with lime to coagulate impurities which are separated off. The juice may be treated before or after coagulation with a pectin-cleaving enzyme. The juice so pretreated can be directly passed through a strong cation exchanger and a weak anion exchanger whereby the amino acids are adsorbed. Switchover to a new cation exchanger is initiated when betaine flows out the column. Elution is effected, preferably with an ammonium compound, and eluate is collected, preferably each fraction being enriched in a different amino acid. The sugar juice may be concentrated and crystallized in known manner and is of comparatively high purity.